Press

The most treasured comment we hear from the Peter Mackler Award winners is, “It’s an honor!”

Thanks to your contributions, the award turned 10 this year, stronger than ever and determined to stand up for independent media whatever the circumstances.

Jovo Martinović, the 2018 PMA recipient, was not allowed to leave Montenegro, where he still faces trial for his work. He joined the award ceremony on September 27th via teleconference, symbolizing both the repression he’s enduring and his determination to be heard. But in a hopeful sign, one of the attendees in a packed auditorium at New York’s Craig Newmark School of Journalism, was J.S. Tissainayagam, the very first PM Award recipient in 2009, who was in jail in Colombo, Sri Lanka, at the time.

Journalists like Jovo, Tissa, Marcos Vizcarra in Mexico, last year’s winner, or Eloge Kaneza in Burundi, whose reporting you often hear or read in US media outlets, work on the front lines of the truth with no regard for their own safety.

Today, journalists are attacked with greater impunity, as U.S. columnist Roger Cohen wrote recently in the New York Times in an article about the brutal killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey.

So please, make a tax-deductable donation to a project that is a testimony to our faith in the truth, to a project that honors the courageous souls who refuse to bow to intimidation and to whom we owe our ability to understand the world as it is.

We hope one day to finally host Jovo Martinović and introduce him to the new generation of journalism students who are inspired by his dedication and steadfastness. With your support, we are confident that we can.

NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 22, 2018 – Jovo Martinović, known for his extensive reporting on organized crime in Europe and war criminals in the Balkans, is the 2018 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

The award, which is in its 10th year, will be presented in a ceremony at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY on Sept. 27, 2018. In addition to the Newmark J-School, other partners in the award are the Global Media Forum Training Group, the U.S. branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Martinović is a veteran freelance investigative journalist from Montenegro who has worked for such international outlets as NPR, BBC, VICE, CBS, Canal Plus, The Economist, TIME, The Financial Times, Global Post and the Balkan Investigative Reporting network (BIRN).

In October 2015, Montenegrin authorities arrested Martinović on charges of marijuana trafficking and participation in a criminal organization, detaining him for more than 14 months despite the prosecution’s failure to substantiate the allegations.

The charges against Martinović were filed in the wake of his investigations into drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and other criminal activity. His prosecution – as well his long and unjustified pre-trial detention – has been widely criticized by international human rights groups and press freedom advocates.

The 44-year-old Martinović, who has steadfastly proclaimed his innocence, was released from custody at the beginning of 2017. But he is still facing trial – and up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

“The Balkans was a region my father covered extensively and got to know intimately through several conflicts. I can think of no greater tribute, on this tenth year of the award, than to recognize the achievements of a journalist who has courageously and at great personal cost devoted himself to reporting truth from that part of the world,” said Camille Mackler, Peter Mackler Award project director at the Global Media Forum Training Group.

This year’s ceremony is the first to take place at the Newmark J-School, the new home of the Mackler Award. The award presentation will be followed by a panel discussion about press freedom in the Balkans and a networking reception. Tickets can be purchased here.

Unable to accept his prize in person, Martinović plans to attend the Sept. 27 award event via video conference.
“We are delighted to help administer this important journalistic prize,” said Dean Sarah Bartlett. “Many of our students are intent on pursuing international reporting, and the courageous journalism celebrated at this event will serve as a tremendous inspiration to them.”

City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism is the new home of the PM Award

Washington DC, December 7, 2017 – We are thrilled to announce that the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism is becoming our partner in supporting the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

This new partnership enables us to increase greatly the profile and impact of the award, and the cause it represents.

“We are delighted to be the new home of the Peter Mackler Award,” said Sarah Bartlett, dean of the CUNY Journalism School. “Many of our students are intent on pursuing international reporting, and the journalists honored at this event will serve as a tremendous inspiration to them.”

Over the last nine years, the Peter Mackler Award has honored journalists from Sri Lanka, Russia, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Burundi and Mexico, all countries where the practice of journalism requires considerable courage.

“Every year at the award ceremony, listening to what these reporters have to go through just to do their jobs, is a revelation to me,” said veteran U.S. reporter Richard Sisk.

CUNY will host the annual event, honor the winner we select and introduce him or her to a network of newsmakers as well as future journalists interested in international reporting.

I am especially grateful to the dean of CUNY’s Journalism School for joining us in building bridges of support and recognition between a new generation of American reporters and their colleagues overseas.

I am also grateful for your support. We would have not have been able to come this far without you, without the support also of our partners Reporters without Borders and Agence France-Presse.

While the CUNY partnership will bring enormous benefits in terms of administration, publicity and impact, GMF is still expected to uphold its end financially. Therefore today I need to ask for your help in growing the Peter Mackler Award endowment, managed by our non-profit Global Media Forum Training Group. Please, donate generously. Our work depends on it.

CUNY J-School to Help Oversee an Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism

New York, December 7, 2017 – The CUNY Graduate School of Journalism will become the new home of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. Family and friends of the distinguished international journalist who worked for Agence France-Presse, United Press International, and the Associated Press founded the award in 2008 to continue his work after his passing.

“We are delighted to help administer this important journalistic prize,” said Sarah Bartlett, dean of the CUNY J-School. “Many of our students are intent on pursuing international reporting, and the journalists honored at this event will serve as a tremendous inspiration to them.”

Over the last nine years, the Peter Mackler Award has recognized journalists from Sri Lanka, Russia, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Burundi and Mexico, all countries where the practice of journalism requires considerable courage.

“Every year at the award ceremony, listening to what these reporters have to go through just to do their jobs, is a revelation to me,” said veteran U.S. reporter Richard Sisk, who worked with Mackler at UPI.

The CUNY J-School will host the annual event to honor the winner and introduce him or her to a network of newsmakers as well as future journalists interested in international reporting.

Other partners in the award are Reporters without Borders and Agence France-Presse.

At the time of his death in June 2008, Mackler was chief editor for North America at Agence France-Presse. In 29 years at AFP, he also served as chief editor in Asia, desk chief in Paris, director for Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, senior correspondent for Europe, senior international correspondent, and Iraq war coordinator.

As a reporter, he covered both Gulf wars; the conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, and Afghanistan; the Palestinian intifada; the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and presidential elections from the United States to the Philippines.

Before joining AFP, Mackler wrote about crime and politics for UPI and the AP in his hometown of New York City.

Mackler was also active in media training for 15 years. In 1999, he created the Project Plato for the Duke Ellington School in Washington DC, teaching journalism as a life skill to young people. In 2004, he founded Global Media Forum (GMF,) a consortium of top international reporters dedicated to media training. After his death, the Mackler family transformed GMF into Global Media Forum Training Group (GMFTG,) a not-for profit dedicated to the promotion of good journalistic ethics and courage under pressure.

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2017 – The Global Media Forum Training Group, the US branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Agence France-Presse (AFP) today announce that Mexican journalist Marcos Vizcarra is the 2017 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. The award will be presented in a ceremony at the National Press Club on October 26, 2017.

Marcos Vizcarra, 29, currently lives and works in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico reporting on issues related to corruption, violence, justice, and human rights for the newspaper Noroeste. Vizcarra has focused his research and writing on the enforced disappearances of Mexican civilians, including the government’s failure to address the problem in a meaningful way.

In 2016, with the support of the International Center For Journalists (ICFJ), the US Embassy in Mexico, Mexican journalism organization Periodistas de a Pie, and Noroeste, Vizcarra published the results of a journalistic investigation into 11 cases of torture committed by the Sinaloa government and prosecutor’s office. Vizcarra’s reporting uncovered corruption in the regional government as well as its collusion with the powerful Sinaloa Cartel in dismantling a rival cartel’s operations. In the wake of Noroeste veteran journalist and AFP correspondent Javier Valdez’ murder earlier this year, Vizcarra has continued to work to expose the work of the cartels and corruption within the government that prevents truth from being uncovered.

“Marcos Vizcarra is a rising voice for unrestricted access to truth in a part of the world known for frequent use of violence to silence journalists,” said Camille Mackler, Peter Mackler Award project director at the Global Media Forum Training Group. “In today’s world, more than ever, we need journalists like Mr. Vizcarra, who are willing to stand up to governments and criminals and uphold principles of ethical journalism. By doing so, and while the eyes of the world remain on Sinaloa in the wake of Mr. Valdez’ brutal death, Mr. Vizcarra has become a guiding example to all other journalists in that region and beyond. We are thrilled to recognize him as the 9th winner of the Peter Mackler Award and show him and other journalists like him that their work – and the contributions they make to our global society – do not go unnoticed.”

Mexico is currently ranked 147th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

Marcos Vizcarra said “I think that in Mexico we are doing better journalism, because I also believe that we have a greater awareness of our role in society: that of journalism that serves to combat corruption and impunity. I believe that this award is a wake-up call to our authorities, because if it is true that we are trying to do better journalism, it is also true that it is becoming more difficult in conditions of violence. I am very grateful to the Mackler family and the organizing committee for having chosen me as the winner of this year’s Peter Mackler Award, because this is a recognition of Mexican journalism that is seeking to improve things.”

Delphine Halgand, the North America Director for Reporters Without Borders said “Mexico continues to be the Western Hemisphere’s deadliest country for journalists. Most of these crimes go unpunished, with Mexico’s pervasive corruption accounting for the impunity. By awarding Marcos Vizcarra, we pay tribute to the courage of those who refuse to be silenced in Mexico, where at least four journalists were murdered in connection with their work in 2017.”

Michèle Leridon, Global News Director for Agence France-Presse said “AFP is thrilled with this choice, in a world where the role of journalists is essential for the vitality of democracies. In Mexico, where an AFP journalist was murdered earlier this year, the job to keep others informed is particularly difficult.”

The Award ceremony will take place on October 26, 2017 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour. Tickets can be bought on the Peter Mackler Award website.

Zaina Erhaim receives the award from Camille Mackler on October 22, 2015

2015 Award Winner’s Passport Held

Washington, DC, Oct. 1, 2016 – An official from the Peter Mackler Award Friday denounced the British government’s decision to confiscate the passport of Syrian journalism Zaina Erhaim, winner of the 2015 Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism (PMA).

UK officials took the action at the request of the Syrian government, which is in the midst of a brutal campaign against civilians in the Syrian city of Aleppo, where Erhaim has reported on the Syrian civil war and trained citizen journalists to document conditions in the besieged city.

“Erhaim and her colleagues have borne witness to the many atrocities committed by the Syrian government in Aleppo. It is outrageous that the British government should be complicit in Syria’s attempt to silence her,” said Camille Mackler, project manager of the PMA, which is named after the late Peter Mackler, an American-born journalist for Agence France-Presse.

The award is given annually to an international journalist for their courage in doing objective reporting under conditions of violence or political repression.

Erhaim, Syria coordinator for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, until last year lived in Aleppo with her husband, covering the war and training other residents to report on the war and its consequences using cell-phone cameras and other low-tech methods. She was detained last week when she entered Britain to receive an Index of Censorship Freedom of Expression Award. Officials confiscated her Syrian passport because the Syrian government had reported it stolen. She was allowed to stay in Britain, but may not be able to leave.

“Britain is supposed to be a champion of democracy and freedom of expression, not a co-conspirator with dictators,” said Mackler. “Erhaim deserves to be praised for her work, not punished.”

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2016 – Journalist Eloge Willy Kaneza of Burundi has been named the winner of the 2016 Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. The award is presented by the Global Media Forum in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Agence France-Presse (AFP). The award will be presented in a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington on October 13.

Kaneza, 34, is the public face of SOS Media Burundi, a collective of mostly anonymous journalists that emerged after the closure of radio stations during the May 2015 coup attempt against President Pierre Nkurunzizi. Using smartphones and mobile applications, Kaneza and his colleagues work under difficult circumstances as the only source of news for their countrymen and those outside Burundi.

Here’s what other journalists are saying about Eloge Willy Kaneza:

“The authorities and uncontrolled armed groups have become the number one menace for journalists in the country. In such a context, continuing to do your work as a journalist with such integrity and courage is absolutely remarkable. Eloge deserves this award that is not only a testimony to his work, but a strong message of hope sent to the whole Burundian journalistic community.” – Clea Kahn-Scriber, RSF Africa Desk

“Not only is Eloge not afraid, but he is also an excellent reporter who strives to get both sides of the story; his survival in this very troubled country could be due to his fairness.” – Negussie Mengesa, Director, Africa Division, Voice of America

Since 2008, the Peter Mackler Award has recognized those journalists who fight courageously and ethically to report the news in countries where press freedom is challenged. It honors the memory of the veteran AFP journalist who was dedicated to mentoring young journalists.

The Award ceremony will take place on October 13, 2016 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a panel discussion.

Register now and show your support for Eloge Kaneza and his colleagues.

Zaina Erhaim of Syria Named 2015 Winner of Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2015 – The Peter Mackler Award, the US branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Agence France-Presse are pleased to announce that Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim is the 2015 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. The award will be presented in a ceremony at the National Press Club on October 22, 2015.

Zaina Erhaim, 30, currently lives and works in Aleppo, Syria. Over the last two years, she has trained about 100 citizen reporters from inside Syria, approximately a third of them women, in print and TV journalism, and has helped establish many of the new emerging independent newspapers and magazines in the war torn country.

“Zaina Erhaim is a force multiplier of journalistic values in a country torn by violence and irrationality,” said Camille Mackler, the Peter Mackler Award’s project director. “We salute her courage, upholding professional ethics and bringing them to the service of those left to write history.”

Erhaim is also the Syria project coordinator for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), an international organization that support journalists in countries undergoing conflict, crisis, or transition. Many of Ms. Erhaim’s students, from all walks of life, have been published in major international news outlets.

Syria is currently ranked 177th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

Upon learning that she had received the award, Ms. Erhaim said “when living in horror for all these years, it is normal to feel abandoned and forget that there is someone listening or reading to our stories and that she or he actually cares. It is such initiatives that make me feel that I, with my Syrian colleagues, do matter, and that our hard work is appreciated and it gives power to go on in my daily surviving battle”

The Award ceremony will take place on October 22, 2015 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour.

Washington, DC, July 6, 2015 – Louise Roug, a distinguished foreign correspondent and now the Global News Editor for Mashable, has joined the advisory board of the Peter Mackler Award, PMA project director Camille Mackler announced today.

“As a reporter, Louise Roug has navigated many dangerous assignments,” Mackler said. “As a news executive, she is at the forefront of change in the moving media landscape of today. We are grateful for her contribution and look forward to her insights.”

Since May 2014, Roug has led the U.S. and world coverage at Mashable, a global media company founded in 2005 with 43 million visitors per month and 23 million social followers worldwide.

Before joining Mashable, she was the Foreign Editor of Newsweek and The Daily Beast from 2010 to 2013. Earlier, Roug was a staff writer at The Los Angeles Times for almost a decade, covering the Middle East and the 2008 presidential election, among other assignments.

During the war in Iraq, she lived in Baghdad from late 2004 to early 2007.

Roug was the recipient of the 2007 Hal Boyle Award from the Overseas Press Club and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting for her work from Baghdad.

The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism honors reporters and editors who have demonstrated a commitment to fairness, accuracy and speaking truth to power, and a matching commitment to asserting the right to publish or air that story in countries where independent media is under threat.

The award was founded in 2008 by the Mackler family in partnership with Reporters without Borders to honor the late Peter Mackler, a long-time correspondent and editor for Agence France-Presse. AFP became a co-sponsor of the award in 2014.

Roug joins a 12-member advisory board that provides guidance for the selection of the yearly award recipient. Earlier this year, Mr. Jørgen Ejbøl, Chairman of the Danish Jyllands-Posten Foundation, also joined the advisory board.

The name of the 2015 winner will be announced on August 22 and an award ceremony will be held at the National Press Club in Washington DC on October 22nd, 2015.

Remember them on this holiday season

WASHINGTON, DC, Dec. 18, 2014 – It’s been another great year for the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

Thanks to your continued support, on October 23, 2014, we were able to honor Asma Shirazi’s undaunted courage for reporting the truth and challenging leaders in a country fraught with perils for independent journalists, Pakistan.

We have been joined by new friends: Agence France-Presse, which now sits on our board of advisors, and DoubleRProductions and Turner4D, who both offered their services pro bono during the award ceremony because they believe in our work.

And we’ve redesigned our website at PMaward.org.

More than ever, it is enormously important to lend a hand to reporters who put their lives on the line every time they go out to report on the news we consume, in the comfort of our own, free societies.

By making a donation to the Peter Mackler Award, you send a global signal that persecuting reporters is not OK.

By making a donation to the Peter Mackler Award, you might make the difference between prison and freedom for someone who is somewhere no one else is paying attention to.

By making a donation to the Peter Mackler Award, you do your small part to push back against a terrifying trend: in 2014, 66 journalists were killed while doing their job and 178 were jailed.

Sri Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, the very first recipient, received notification of the award on September 1, 2010, the first day of a 20-year sentence to jail and hard labor. “It helped me survive in prison,” he recollected a few weeks ago in a video message.

“When the State wants to punish you, it wants to show that your work was in vain,” he said.

Please, make sure that another journalist’s work was not in vain by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

Asma Shirazi of Pakistan Named 2014 Winner of Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2014 – Global Media Forum, the US branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Agence France-Presse are pleased to announce that Asma Shirazi is the 2014 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. The award will be presented in a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 23rd.

Asma Shirazi, 38, is Pakistan’s first female war correspondent and has reported on several recent conflicts including the Israel-Lebanon War in 2006, Taliban violence on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in 2009, and General Pervez Musharraf’s 2007 state of emergency in Pakistan.

Ms. Shirazi hosted two popular television talk shows, including one on Parliamentary affairs entitled “Parliament Cafeteria” which allowed her to become Pakistan’s first female Parliamentary correspondent. The show was banned by General Musharraf as he sought to exert more control over coverage of the country’s political processes.

Undeterred by death threats and personal risk, Ms. Shirazi has demonstrated courage, professionalism and dedication in the search for truth in a country where talk shows are as risky as war reporting.

“We are thrilled to recognize the courage and dedication to journalistic ethics that Ms. Shirazi has displayed every day of her career,” said Camille Mackler, Project Director for the Peter Mackler Award. “At great personal risk, Ms. Shirazi has continued to ensure that unbiased, free information is available throughout Pakistan. She not only epitomizes the values our award seeks to recognize, she continues to be a role model to young women in Pakistan and in all other parts of the world.”

“By awarding Asma Shirazi, we pay tribute to the courage of those who fight for freedom of information in Pakistan, where seven journalists were murdered in connection with their work in 2013. Facing harsh oppression, Shirazi demonstrates every day outstanding journalistic skills,” said Delphine Halgand, US Director, Reporters Without Borders.

“AFP is happy to be associated with this recognition of Asma Shirazi’s great courage and perseverance in reporting on conflict and politics in Pakistan despite the personal dangers she faced,” said David Millikin, AFP’s director for North America.

Pakistan is currently ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. Ms. Shirazi is the second woman to win the Peter Mackler Award.

The Award ceremony will take place on October 23, 2014 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour. The ceremony is open to the public. Register now.

Washington, DC February 10, 2014 –The international news agency Agence France-Presse has joined the advisory board of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism, the Mackler family announced today.

“AFP is very happy to provide support for the award issued in memory of Peter, who played such a vital role over nearly three decades in building the agency’s international activities and reputation,” said David Millikin, AFP’s director for North America who will represent AFP on the advisory board.

A project established in memory of long-time AFP correspondent Peter Mackler, the award annually honors an international journalist who has achieved success under repressive conditions.

“AFP brings precious international help and support to our project,“ said Camille Mackler, one of Peter’s daughters and the project director. “Five years on, we all have witnessed the positive impact of the award. AFP’s contribution will strengthen our capacity to support independent journalism around the world, and more specifically in countries that impede free speech.”

The project was established in 2008 in collaboration with the international NGO Reporters without Borders, a key partner.

The late Peter Mackler spent 30 years of his journalism career at AFP in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States as a correspondent, war reporter, editor and bureau chief, among other capacities. He mentored young AFP correspondents and established an independent journalism training program for students and foreign journalists.

The award has honored J.S.Tissainayagam from Sri Lanka, Ilya Barabanov from Russia, Karla Rivas from Honduras, Lukpan Akhmedyarov from Khazakstan and Faisal Mohamed Faisal from Sudan.

“The Mackler family has created something of great importance, not only for the award’s recipients but for the nations where courageous reporters know their work is being followed and recognized abroad,“ said Marcus Brauchli former executive editor of the Washington Post and former managing editor of the Wall Street Journal. The honorees are selected by daughters Camille and Lauren Mackler, and Catherine Antoine, Peter’s wife.

“The award is a great source of inspiration when individual journalists, often working alone, confront powerful governments and organized criminal gangs,” said J.S. Tissainayagam who received the award while jailed in 2009.

Recipients are flown to the US in October for an award ceremony at the National Press Club. In New York, they address students and faculty of the Columbia University School of Journalism, and in Washington, D.C., they meet with policy makers in think tanks and government agencies.

The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism is a project of the Global Media Forum, a U.S. non-profit company.

Faisal Salih is a reporter, editor, columnist and journalism teacher in Khartoum, Sudan.

“We are relieved to learn that Faisal Salih was cleared of wrong doing while exercising his profession and we hope the Sudanese courts will also clear the other journalist accused in a similar fashion,” said Catherine Antoine, co-founder of the Peter Mackler Award.

“I’m happy. It’s a very important precedent,” Salih told Agence France Presse after Judge Esmat Suliman threw out the charge.

A member of Sudan’s security bureau filed a criminal code complaint against Salih, alleging he had lied and insulted the state in a 2011 column about an activist’s allegation of rape in custody.

Salih could have been jailed for up to six months if convicted. The journalist “did not publish lies and did not insult the state”, Suliman ruled. “A lot of media published about this case.”

In his article, Salih had called for a “serious investigation” into the activist’s allegation that she was raped in detention.

Salih said the verdict should support the “watchdog” role of reporters in Sudan. “It’s very positive for the freedom of the press and the role of the press in society,” he said, noting that the judge described his article as “very objective”.

Other journalists were previously jailed and fined for writing about the activist’s case, and one more reporter is still before the courts, Salih said.

“An allegation of rape in custody is a grave matter and we are encouraged by the decision of the Sudanese court,” said Antoine.

Happy holiday season! As 2013 comes to a close, two words come to mind: Thank You. Together, for the fifth year in a row, we celebrated one man’s courage in the face of intimidation, and his steadfast belief in journalistic values.

At the National Press Club, Columbia University Journalism School and the many entities he visited during his stay in Washington DC, Faisal Mohamed Salih, our 2013 award recipient, spoke eloquently of the many challenges he and his colleagues face to continue exercising their profession in Sudan.

One thing was clear: his determination to continue speaking truth to power.

Like Peter, Faisal believes good journalism can bring about social change for the better.

Like Tissa, Ilya, Karla, and Lukpan before him, Faisal thanked us for our support, for YOUR support

We couldn’t have done it without you.

We know that our small award goes a long way in bringing light to the remotest parts of the world where free speech and independent reporting are considered with contempt.

Your donation, combined with donations from many others, will help journalists in difficulty get the strength and nerve to continue this uniquely challenging profession.

As the year draws to a close, remember to make a tax-deductible contribution to the PMA so we can help another courageous journalist next year.

We are inspired by the number of people who believe in and cherish the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. We cannot thank you enough for the trust you place in us, and our partnership with Reporters without Borders, and your will to continue honoring Peter Mackler’s legacy.

We look forward to hearing from you and hope we can expect your continued generosity and support.

I have to start with something sad, but bear with me because it gets better.

Five years ago, on a beautiful Friday afternoon in June, my husband passed away suddenly.

It was the beginning of a personal tragedy for my daughters and me, but something else happened.

We received hundreds of messages, emails, letters, phone calls from people around the world who wanted to share what Peter had meant during their career.

Journalists in Bagdad, in Islamabad, in Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong ; in Bosnia, Kosovo, India told us how much Peter had been and continued to be an inspiration.

My husband was a consummate reporter. For him, journalism was not only a profession, it was a way to be in life. He was immensely generous with his time, his experience, his knowledge, mentoring young reporters and discussing journalistic ethics – issues close to his heart – as well as safety in situation of conflict.

When he passed away, as is the custom in this country, people asked where they could make a donation.

One of my daughter said « We must continue Papa’s work » and the other said « Let’s create an award in his name. »

So we did – in collaboration with Reporters without Borders, an organization my husband and I have always admired.

Year after year, we have been able to help and recognize a reporter who operates in difficult and dangerous circumstances.

In 2009, JS Tissainayagam was in jail, accused of terrorism for his reporting on the civil conflict in Sri Lanka.

Today, Tissa is right here with us. He actually runs a very interesting blog – PM Media Freedom – that I recommend. You can find a link on the Peter Mackler Award website.

The following year, we recognized Ilya Barabanov, a young man from Russia whose reporting on corruption in the secret police prompted raids on the publication he still works for.

In 2011, we honored the courage of a woman, Karla Rivas, editor of a community radio in Honduras. Karla staunchly refused to be intimidated by the military. She started her acceptance speech by reading the name of 16 Honduran reporters who had been gunned down in 28 months.

Last year, Lukpan Akhmedyarov from Kazakhstan received the award. We were lucky to have him among us because thugs had left him for dead six months earlier. He had been literally beaten to a pulp, after he reported on corruption in local politics. He was an inspiring speaker at the award and at Columbia University where our winners traditionally address the students and faculty as well.

And this year, you must know that we are honoring Sudan’s Faisal Mohamed Salih at the National Press Club in three weeks. Faisal is a remarkable man and if you want to know more, you need to join us on the 24th. Ambassador Lyman who is right here with us is the keynote speaker. Please, come and show your support .

Now, you might wonder « Why should we care ? Why should we be concerned about the fate of reporters in Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Sudan ? We live here, in this beautiful city of Washington DC – designed as you know by a French man, le major L’Enfant. »

You should care deeply, for many reasons. The one I’ll mention tonight is the fact that our own press is battered, and foreign correspondents are so few now. Our own professional media are undergoing drastic budget cuts at a time when reporting from overseas has never been so costly, and so dangerous.

Sure, activists, even ordinary people send tweets and posts video on YouTube. But who’s there to bring perspective, to double check the facts and tell us in the end « what does it all mean ? »

Most often, only the local press is left to take the risks to report the truth; and they do it with little or no protection. They most often are subjected to threats to their lives, threats of torture, threats to their family.

Many are forced to give up or give in to self-censorship. Others courageously push forward, motivated by respect for the truth and dedication to journalistic ethics.

We can’t really blame those who choose to avoid danger. But, in turn, we must recognize those who choose to take personal risk on the values we hold dear.

I could go on, but let me stop here for now.

Five years after my husband passed, our goal is to make the award permanent.

The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism this year honors Sudanese Faisal Mohamed Salih, columnist and editor at Al Khartoum Daily.

The award ceremony will take place Thursday October 24, 2013 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

“We are honored that Ambassador Lyman accepted our invitation to address the 2013 Peter Mackler Award. His extensive experience and breadth of knowledge about Sudan promise to bring an exciting dimension to the October 24th ceremony,” said Camille Mackler, project director of the PMA.

Ambassador Lyman is Senior Advisor to the President at the United States Institute of Peace.

Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman was United States special envoy for Sudan in 2011-2013. He also served as U.S. senior advisor on North-South negotiations, where he led the U.S. team focused on supporting negotiations between the parties to Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Ambassador Lyman also served at the Council on Foreign Relations, Georgetown University and the Aspen Institute.

Ambassador Lyman’s previous career in government included assignments as deputy assistant secretary of state for African affairs (1981-1986), U.S. ambassador to Nigeria (1986-1989), director of refugee programs (1989-1992), U.S. ambassador to South Africa (1992-1995), and assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs (1996-1998).

He is the author of “Partner to History: The U.S. Role in South Africa’s Transition to Democracy.” He was co-director of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force Report, “More Than Humanitarianism: A Strategic U.S. Approach Toward Africa”, issued in 2006, and co-editor of “Beyond Humanitarianism: What You Need to Know About Africa and Why It Matters” published in 2007.

The Peter Mackler award rewards journalists who fight courageously and ethically to report the news in countries where freedom of the press is not tolerated.

The award is a project of Global Media Forum in collaboration with Reporters Without Borders. The Award ceremony will take place on Thursday October 24, 2011 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045.

Faisal Salih is a reporter, editor, columnist and journalism teacher in Khartoum, Sudan.

WASHINGTON, DC, Aug. 22, 2013 – Global Media Forum and the US branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) are pleased to announce that Faisal Salih is the 2013 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. The Peter Mackler Award celebrates its fifth anniversary this year.

Faisal Salih, 53, is an experienced journalist and columnist for various Sudanese publications.He is also director of programs at Teeba Press, a non-governmental organization that trains journalists in Sudan. He was formerly the editor in chief of Al-Adwaa Daily and a columnist for several other publications.

He will be awarded the prize at a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 24, 2013. Salih, is well known for his criticism of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his regime’s human rights abuses. He was imprisoned for several days in 2012 after an Al Jazeera interview where he was critical of the current regime. In 2011 he was one of several journalists investigated after speaking out against the alleged rape of youth activist Safia Ishag.

“As we get ready to celebrate our fifth anniversary, we could not be prouder to recognize such a journalist as Mr. Faisal Salih,” said Camille Mackler, Project Director for the Peter Mackler Award. “Our goal for the last five years, as we have built this award program, has always been to shine a light on the courage and commitment to human rights and dignity that Mr. Salih exhibits every day through his work. When a young woman was raped by Government forces, he could have simply chosen to look the other way and not risk his own life. Instead, he reported about it until the same forces tried to silence him as well. This courage and attachment to journalistic ethics is what the Peter Mackler Award seeks to encourage and reward every year.”

Sudan is currently ranked 170th out of 179 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders. The African nation is known for its widespread use of intimidation and violence to censor journalists. The result is a media landscape crippled by state censorship, and self-censorship is practiced by many of the country’s professional journalists.

“By awarding Faisal Mohammed Salih, we pay tribute to the courage of those in Sudan who refuse to be silenced. In the face of harsh oppression, Salih remains a steadfast figure of freedom of information”, said Christophe Deloire, Reporters Without Borders Director.

Open letter to the friends and supporters of the Peter Mackler Award

Washington, DC, Dec. 12, 2012 – Many thanks to those who were able to join us for the fourth annual Peter Mackler Award Ceremony on October 12th at the National Press Club. It was our most successful event so far and a heartwarming and inspiring evening.

Lukpan Akhmedyarov speaks about hope and freedom in Kazakhstan.

Our recipient, Lukpan Akhmedyarov, spoke of the many difficulties faced in Kazakhstan by those seeking to maintain free and independent media. “The press is on a leash, it is only a question of the length of the leash,” he said, referring to “constant pressure” from the government.

In Lukpan’s case that pressure included a severe beating at the hands of two thugs after he had published an investigative report on local corruption. He suffered a crushed skull as well as punctured lungs, liver and kidneys.

“After the April 2012 attack, a lot of people wrote and asked if I was going to stop investigative journalism. I realized so many people relied on me for information, there is no way I can stop,” Lukpan said. He added, “For me and my colleagues the PMA is a great honor. Until now we thought our work had gone unnoticed outside Kazakhstan.”

As many of you know, the Peter Mackler Award for Ethical and Courageous Journalism is named for our husband and father the late Peter Mackler, a long time reporter and editor for Agence France-Presse who had a passion to support independent journalism in repressive countries. After he died in 2008, his friends and family were moved to create the PMA to honor his efforts and continue his work.

It has become more than just an award – recipients are adopted into the PMA family. We bring the winner to the United Sates, where he or she gives a talk and meets with students and faculty at Columbia Journalism School in New York City. In Washington DC, they meet with State Department officials, think tanks and non- governmental organizations in addition to the annual ceremony at the Press Club.

Besides the $1,000 award, we try to help them when we can. The PMA worked – along with many others – to gain the release from prison of our first recipient, J.S. Tissainayagam. Tissa has since been granted asylum in the United States and is now living in Washington.

“The Peter Mackler Award is not just another media honor. While the PMA recognizes that fighting for media freedom requires courage to speak the truth, it also brings families together. Where reporting the truth is dangerous, awardees can rest assured that their families have someone to turn to in times of desperation – the Peter Mackler family that is always willing to give much more than handing out the accolade,” he told us recently.

Camille J. Mackler, PMA Project Director.

After Tissa, who had been unjustly imprisoned on trumped-up terrorism charges in Sri Lanka, we gave awards to Russia’s Ilya Barabanov, deputy editor of Novoye Vremya (New Times,) targeted by his government for exposing official corruption, and Carla Rivas of Radio Progreso in Honduras, who continues to cover the news in the face of military intimidation and censorship. The disturbing stories of their battles to report the truth are a reminder that freedom isn’t free, and are an important motivation for us to keep supporting the cause that Peter so deeply believed in.

As we enter our fifth year we wanted to share some of the latest news about the PMA. We are expending our board of advisors which currently includes the Washington Post Company Vice President Marcus Brauchli, NewsCore CEO John Moody, U.S. Senate Staffer Jay Branegan and others.

We are currently developing plans for a special event next year to mark the fifth anniversary of the award.

All this would not be possible without the support of people like you who believe in the crucial role a free press plays in developing societies. “I never had the privilege of knowing Peter Mackler, but I admire the spirit of this award in his name,” remarked Robert O. Blake, Jr. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, at the 2012 ceremony.

None of us involved with the PMA take any pay for our work and we keep costs to a minimum. All the money raised through the ticket sales and donations goes to expenses for the award itself, transportation, accommodation, venue, etc.

With the year-end giving season upon us, we ask you to consider making a tax deductible donation to the PMA so we can continue honoring the courageous work of brave journalists around the world. Our family is dedicated to this cause, and we hope to be able to count on your support.

To donate online, please, go to www.pmaward.org/ and choose on “Make a donation”
or by mailing a check to:

NEW YORK, September 14, 2012 – The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism announced today that Assistant Secretary of State Robert O. Blake will be the key note speaker at this year’s ceremony honoring Lukpan Akhmedyarov of Uralskaya Nedelya (Kazakhstan). The ceremony will take place October 12, 2012 at the National Press Club in Washington, DC.

Mr. Blake is a career Foreign Service Officer. Ambassador Blake entered the Foreign Service in 1985. He has served at the American Embassies in Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt. He held a number of positions at the State Department in Washington, including senior desk officer for Turkey, Deputy Executive Secretary, and Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary for Political Affairs. Ambassador Blake served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Mission in New Delhi, India from 2003 – 2006, as Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Maldives from 2006 to mid-2009, and as Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs from May 2009 to the present.
Mr. Blake earned a B.A. from Harvard College in 1980 and an M.A. in international relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1984.

The Peter Mackler award rewards journalists who fight courageously and ethically to report the news in countries where freedom of the press is either not guaranteed or not recognized. The Award is administered jointly by Global Media Forum and Reporters Without Borders. The Award ceremony will take place on October 12, 2012 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour.

NEW YORK, Aug. 9, 2012 – Global Media Forum and the US branch of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) are pleased to announce that Lukpan Akhmedyarov is the 2012 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

Akhmedyarov is a reporter for the weekly Uralskaya Nedelya in Kazakhstan. He will be awarded the prize at a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 12, 2012.

Lukpan Akhmedyarov, 36, is well known for his investigative coverage of corruption and human rights abuses as well as his criticism of the current regime. He has been the target of threats and harassment by the police.

On April 19, 2012, Akhmedyarov was the victim of a murder attempt outside his apartment building in the city of Uralsk. Two masked individuals attacked him, hitting him on the back of the head, stabbing him multiple times and shooting him with an air-pistol. As a result, Akhmedyarov was hospitalized for a month and treated for a head injury, eight stab wounds to the lung, kidneys, and stomach, and gun pellet injuries.

Camille Mackler, Project Director for the Peter Mackler Award, said that “Mr. Akhmedyarov has shown enormous courage in reporting on corruption in an authoritarian regime. That he continues to do so, after almost paying with his life for his commitment to journalistic integrity, makes us proud to name him this year’s winner of the Peter Mackler Award.”

“Through Lukpan Akhmedyarov, we pay homage to the courage of all who continue to work independently to cover the news in Kazakhstan. Working as an independent news source in this country has never been easy. Over the past twelve month, it has become more dangerous than ever. Lukpan’s courage and dedication command respect” said Christophe Deloire, Reporters Without Borders Director.

Washington DC, June 21, 2012 – Please join us on Thursday, June 21st for The Future of Information, an afternoon of insightful conversation as two of the nation’s leading media experts analyze the latest trends in information consumption and consider the impact they have on internet media of every kind.

A benefit for the Peter Mackler Award for Ethical and Courageous Journalism, this very special event will feature Marcus Brauchli, Executive Editor of the Washington Post, and Lee Rainie, Founding Director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Together they’ll discuss the latest findings on how Americans are using and accessing information and what these discoveries mean for the future of the web and its content managers.

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2011 – Global Media Forum and the US branch of Reporters Without Borders are pleased to announce that Honduran radio journalist Karla Rivas, news editor for Radio Progreso, has been selected as the 2011 winner of the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. Rivas will be awarded the prize at a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on October 20, 2011. Rivas is the first woman to receive the Award.

Karla Rivas, 33, works for Radio Progreso, a Jesuit-run radio station covering current events, sports, and arts news. Despite being one of the first victims of raids by the military after the 2009 coup, Radio Progreso continues to challenge censorship and to promote dialogue within Honduran society. It’s leader, Father Ismael Moreno, was one of approximately ten journalists the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights instructed the new Honduran government to protect, an injunction the regime continues to ignore. Karla Rivas became a vocal opponent of the military tactics and continues to defend Radio Progreso’s right to broadcast uncensored information. Camille Mackler, Project Director for the Peter Mackler Award, said that “Ms. Rivas has shown enormous courage and integrity by asserting the right of the People of Honduras to receive fair, accurate news. She has done so regardless of the danger she placed herself in. This selflessness and strong ethics are what the Peter Mackler Award rewards by naming Ms. Rivas this year’s winner.”

Jean-François Julliard, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders stated that Ms. Rivas’ recognition “constitutes both a symbol of the fight for the right to information, and a reminder to the international community of the tragedy Honduras has suffered since the coup on June 28th, 2009. Radio Progreso’s efforts to inform the public about the state of human rights since that day is rewarded today. The driving force for dialogue within an extremely polarized society, Radio Progreso continues to take on with courage its journalistic and educational role, despite threats and persecution. If the station is over a half-century old, its young journalists and announcers embody both the future of a profession and the hope of a country.” Reporters Without Borders ranked Honduras 143rd out of 175 countries in their 2010 Press Freedom Index, down from 128th the previous year.

The Award ceremony will take place on October 20, 2011 at 6PM at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC 20045. The ceremony will be followed by a networking hour. There will be a silent auction.

The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism will hold its annual award ceremony on October 22, 2010 at 6:00PM at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. N.W, 13th Fl.; Washington, DC. The ceremony is open to the public and will be followed by a networking hour. Tickets are $25 ($10 with student ID) and can be purchased at the door or online at www.pmaward.org. There will be a silent auction.

This year’s winner is Ilya Barabanov, deputy editor of Russian opposition magazine The New Times. Barabanov has worked on several investigative reports exposing corruption and other issues within the Russian government. As a result, he has been the target of extortion attempts and other threats, and has defended his organization against a lawsuit filed by the Interior Ministry and OMON security forces.

The guest speaker will be J.S. Tissainayagam, 2009 winner of the Peter Mackler Award and current Nieman Fellow at Harvard University. Mr. Tissainyagam, a respected Tamil journalist and editor, was recently pardoned by the Sri Lankan government, less than a year after his conviction to 20 years hard labor on terrorism charges.

The Key Note Speaker will be David E. Hoffman, contributing editor at the Washington Post and Foreign Policy Magazine. Mr. Hoffman is also the author of The Dead Hand, the Pulitzer Prize winning analysis of the Cold War arms race.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS NOW AND BE ENTERED TO WIN A DINNER FOR TWO
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An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced a television host to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man last year, a judicial source said. Mohamed al-Gheiti, who has expressed his stance against homosexuality on several occasions, was accused of [...]

An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced a television host to one year in prison for interviewing a gay man last year, a judicial source said. Mohamed al-Gheiti, who has expressed his stance against homosexuality on several occasions, was accused of [...]

About The Peter Mackler Award

The Peter Mackler Award honors reporters and editors who have demonstrated a commitment to fairness, accuracy and speaking truth to power, and a matching commitment to asserting the right to publish or air that story in countries where independent media is under threat.